


Beginnings and Endings

by orphan_account



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: First work - Freeform, Fluff, M/M, Over the Years, Phan Timeline, Shameless Phan, hopefully after this I can write something more substantial
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-24
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-04-05 22:23:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4197201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan and Phil's relationship from 2009 to 2030. So many things that happened over the years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 2009

**Author's Note:**

> Hola! This is my first fanfic on AO3 but I've written loads more that I'm ashamed to share with the public. If this is a success I think I'll try some of those ideas I've had within the past few days? Idek. But this'll be a long one. Because I'm on summer break at the moment I think I can update at least every four days? Hopefully that satisfies people. Whoops, this note is too long. Enjoy!

It's the spring of 2009. 18-year-old Dan Howell is browsing YouTube. With his chin resting on his palm, he sits there in his room, eyes transfixed on the pixel screen. His cursor moves to the tiny search box and he types in a few, slightly random, words.

"Buffy fringe vlog." The search results will be amusing, he thinks, just because he's too bored to do anything else. He'd like a good vlog to cheer him up right now- he's seen all the latest Smosh videos, and he doesn't really feel like listening to music.

Oh, _no_. If Dan Howell doesn't feel like listening music, then the situation truly is dire.

He clicks the first video that pops up, slipping the headphones over his ears. Someone called AmazingPhil, apparently.

"Hey guys!" the man on the video says, greeting the audience with a tiny wave. Dan takes a moment to study the man, whom is presumably named Phil. He has a black fringe and bright blue eyes and doesn't look much older than Dan. He's clothed in a green flannel checked shirt and black jeans. He looks pleasant enough, Dan thinks.

Phil rambles for a moment. Dan smiles. He seems sweet, in his opinion. Innocent. Gentle. It's awoken an interest in him, and he decides that it wouldn't hurt to consider watching another video.

And so it transpired in the following months that Phil Lester gained another fan.

•      •      •

It's the late summer of 2009 and Dan has just tweeted Phil. Phil replies, and Dan is elated. _He has been noticed._

He continues to tweet the YouTuber and Phil continues to reply on occasion. It's only a tiny gap in time later but soon, a mutual relationship has sparked between them. Dan's following Phil and Phil's following Dan and both of them are happy because they really enjoy each other's virtual presence in their lives, and they are both ready to take their fledgling friendship to the level at which they see each other's faces.

So Dan gives Phil his Skype and Phil sees this boy's smile for the first time. Dan, who has seen Phil's face too many times for him to count, practically melts with happiness at the sight of AmazingPhil. And that's before either of them say anything.

"Hi, Dan."

"Hi."

Dan practically breathes the word, because his eyes are transfixed on the screen. Phil blushes, but it's barely picked up by the 2009 webcams. Little does he know, Dan's cheeks are flushed a violent crimson that could put a rose to shame.

"It's great to finally be talking to you!" Dan smiles as the tension dissolves and they slip into the friendly banter that had only before been seen in written form.

"It's not like you've never spoken to me before."

"I mean, face to face."

"This technically isn't even face to face, seeing as we're both Internet hobos..."

•      •      • 

It's the beginning of October now, and Phil has hinted time and time again that maybe Dan can start making his own videos, that he'd certainly be good at it. Phil has also hinted about inviting Dan to his place up north later in the month. Dan isn't sure how he feels about either of them.

But then, his entire brain just goes 'what the hell' and he decides to film a video on his newly created channel, which he rather creatively christens 'danisnotonfire.' He entitles the video 'HELLO INTERNET,' emphasizing his debut onto this bizarre media web.

Phil is unbelievably supportive of his new YouTube hobby (which his family still doesn't know about— he'll get around to telling them sometime soon) and asks him again whether he wants to come up north to Phil's home. Dan says yes, because what could go wrong?

It's a week later and Dan's on the train to Manchester. When Phil greets him there, he doesn't know how to react. Luckily, Phil takes control and wraps his arms around him in a tight, welcoming embrace. Dan melts into the hug, and any potential awkwardness is swiftly eliminated.

An idea strikes them midweek to film something together. A Q&A, they decide. The second debut video of October 2009, this time presenting them as a duo, as 'Dan and Phil.' They're not quite an item, but they're practically best friends by now, and it's high time the Internet sees them that way.

They take a black marker and draw cat whiskers on each others' noses, and begin the questionnaire. After several takes and a smooth ending, Dan announces that it was the most fun he's ever had; Phil then tackles him to the floor in a sudden hug that's completely platonic. Well... maybe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2010.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Here's chapter two. It's a tad bit short and there's a little mild swearing ('bloody' and 'hell') but not too bad. Again, I'm sorry it's so short! Please don't hurt me

Now it's 2010.  
The last couple months of 2009 had seemed to drag out, and Dan had satisfied himself with his weekly videos and the mere notion that it was one less day ticked off before he could see Phil in person again.

The hours on Skype have been keeping him content, and the simple sight of Phil's face makes him swell with elation. Their relationship has become tightly woven, threads of friendship nearly unbreakable.

At this point, both of them know they're slightly more than friends. However, it seems to either be a taboo subject or a painfully obvious one, because neither of them have ever brought it up. Dan almost wishes they would, because that would give him a feeling of– what? Security? Satisfaction? He doesn't know.

Then they realize that they'll see each other in person again after the New Year, because Dan's starting University in Manchester. Phil lives in Manchester.

The day Dan breaks the news to Phil over Skype, they both burst into excited giggles. When they finally calm down enough to talk, Phil makes an offer that Dan is more than eager to accept.

"Do you want to be my flatmate?"

•       •       • 

So a couple months later, Dan is spending his days taking law classes in Manchester and coming home to Phil.  
Phil, who has made quite a few guest appearances in his videos, seems to now be sharing a following pool with Dan. A considerable amount of people seem to be watching their videos and the subscription count is rising by the day. It's fun making the videos and seeing a group of people (admittedly mostly teenage girls) watching and commenting on them.

But no matter how much fun Dan's extracurricular life is, Uni is, as promised, boring as hell.

Wait, no, never mind, hell's probably more interesting than what goes on there.

He already regrets signing up for this. But at least he gets to be with Phil, which is fun.

•       •       •

Exam week approaches and Phil watches as Dan works his buttocks off on some essay. Neither of them really have any clue what Dan's writing about, and at this point, neither of them really care. What they want more than anything is just to plow through Uni as quickly as possible, preferably with a degree and flying colors on every exam. If only real life were that easy.  
Phil is extremely good at comforting a stressed nineteen-year-old, Dan notes. Chocolate every afternoon, delicious dinner, Phil handling anything that he feels Dan shouldn't have to do– you'd think Dan were bloody _pregnant_.

Before they know it, exam week is over. However, the stress they had experienced before and during the week has not lifted. On the contrary, it is, if anything, more heavy and daunting than before, because the horrifying anticipation of the results is still looming before them.

The results come back. Mediocre. Not failing grades to say the least, but not as good as they could have been. He can feel his heart sinking like a stone into the pit of his stomach.

Dan decides that he's had enough of University for a while and tells them that he's going to take a gap year. This could make such a difference in his life– he could take up piano, do videos more often, do more things with Phil... he can literally see the shimmering cloud of destiny that is the rest of the year glittering before him. It's going to be great.


End file.
